Bill Simmons Reacts to Miami Heat's Pick of Illinois' Kasparas Jakucionis

Bill Simmons has made a cottage industry of his NBA opinions, and even if those thoughts are often tinged Kelly green as viewed through the lens of his Boston Celtics fandom, the erstwhile Sports Guy tends to be better informed than most.

So when Simmons gathered with buddy/podcasting wingman Joe House and NBA expert J. Kyle Mann on "The Bills Simmons Podcast" to break down the recent NBA Draft, Illinois fans might be interested to know the player that elicited perhaps the biggest reaction from the host over the 80 minutes of first-round analysis: Kasparas Jakucionis.

"I'm watching, I'm rooting for the Celtics maybe to trade out, because he was one of my favorite guys," Simmons said of Jakucionis. "And I know he can't go by anybody, but using the pick-and-roll ... that guy's an NBA player."

Simmons semi-famously has a grudging respect for the Miami Heat, who ended Jakucionis' draft slide with the No. 20 pick, and whom he believes can help coach Erik Spoelstra and president Pat Riley again lead the franchise back to contention in the Eastern Conference – sooner than later.

"Miami, as usual – classic – just like Danny Green, [Caron] Butler, Tyler Herro, you just go on through and it just always happens for them," Simmons said. "And it happens again, and Jakucionis falls to them."

Mann noted that he had Jakucionis rated as his No. 7 player in the draft, and Simmons couldn't get over Miami's luck – especially when the depleted Washington Wizards (no point guard of the future) and Brooklyn Nets (pinning all their hopes at the position on No. 8 pick Egor Demin) passed at Nos. 18 and 19.

"How did they do it?" Simmons said.

As usual somebody good in the draft falls to Miami. Jakucionis is good. Sean Marks should be arrested.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) June 26, 2025

The draft is a hit-and-miss affair that doesn't yield clear winners and losers until years after the fact, but Simmons isn't wrong about Miami's history: The Heat have had as much post-lottery success in the draft as any team in the league – and Jakucionis appears to fit the mold of the franchise's past talent-evaluation hits.

"He'll fill the box score, he'll play for Miami," Simmons said. "He'll play 23 minutes a game next year, and he'll get, like, 12.5 assists, five rebounds, one steal. Like, he just – he's just gonna be good. It really is annoying to me."

Bill Simmons Reacts to Miami Heat's Pick of Illinois' Kasparas Jakucionis

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